Liquid filters

ABSTRACT

A spin- or thread-on type oil filter whose filter housing which mounts within its interior space the filter element or cartridge comprises a cylindrical, thin sheet-metal shell or can body closed at one end by an integral dome-shaped end wall and at its other end by a separately fashioned closure plate assembly made up of a heavy-gauge metal base plate whose outer rim portion is planar and has diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the shell, and an annular sheet metal seaming cover which is lock-seamed along its outer peripheral or rim portion to the open-end wall portion of the shell and extends radially inwardly therefrom and in flush engagement with the under (outer) face of said base plate, the improvement comprising radially inwardly directed circumferential beads or formations rolled or otherwise provided in the cylindrical wall of the shell at locations immediately above (axially inwardly of) and below (axially outwardly of) the base plate, said circular beads serving as lock-shoulders which lock the base plate against movement in either axial direction relative to the shell and/or seaming cover.

United States Patent Baldwin [54] LIQUID FILTERS [72] Inventor: Jesse A.Baldwin, Kearnesy, Nebr.

[73] Assignee: J. A. Baldwin Manufacturing Co- I pany, Kearnesy, Nebr.

[22] Filed: Nov. 2, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 86,027

[52] US. Cl ..2l0/440 [51] Int. Cl.....' ..B0ld 45/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..2l0/DIG. 17, 130, 440, 444,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,315,809 4/1967 l'lultgren..20/440x Primary Examiner--Reuben Friedman Assistant ExaminerR. W.Burks [1 1 3,685,658 [451 Aug. 22, 1972 7] ABSTRACT A spinor thread-ontype oil filter whose filter housing which mounts within its interiorspace the vfilter element or cartridge comprises a cylindrical, thinsheetmetal shell or can body closed at one end by an integraldome-shaped end wall and at its other end by a separately fashionedclosure plate assembly made up of a heavy-gauge metal base plate whoseouter rim portion is planar and has diameter substantially equal to theinner diameter of the shell, and an annular sheet metal seaming coverwhich is lock-seamed along its outer peripheral or rim portion to theopen-end wall portion of the shell and extends radially inwardlytherefrom and in flush engagement with the under (outer) face of saidbase plate, the improvement comprising radially inwardly directedcircumferential beads or formations rolled or otherwise provided in thecylindrical wall of the shell at locations immediately above (axiallyinwardly of) and below (axially outwardly of) the base plate, saidcircular beads serving as lock-shoulders which lock the base plateagainst movement in either axial direction relative to the shell and/orseaming cover.

Attorney-J. Harold Kilcoyne 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures l a E r l 1 I Il l l i g 5' 1 1 22 E l l I l I l l 1 l l 3 l 1 v i i F 1 l l l l i i I5 I f I :96 i r I 1 l l l i v 1.?

: l l E I l l I! 1 i l l l l I l l LIQUID FILTERS This invention relatesto improvements in liquid filters, and more particularly in oil filtersof the full-flow, spinor thread-on type adapted to be mounted byscrew-threading same on to an engine-block fitting and, when so mounted,functioning as a means to filter out therefrom harmful contaminantsusually contained in the lubricating oil being supplied to the bearingsand other parts of an internal combustion engine requiring lubrication,under the pressure of an engine-driven oil pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The can or housing of a spin-on type oilfilter as usually constructed comprised a thin-metal, generallycylindrical shell closed at its one (distal from its mounting) end by anintegral dome-shaped end wall and at its other or mounting end by aseparately fashioned closure-plate assembly including a heavy-gaugereinforcing plate (in the art and herein termed a base plate) and athin-metal annular seaming cover which was secured flush against theouter (under) surface of said base plate by spots of weld and was inturn lock-seamed along its outer periphery to the cylindrical, open-endwall portion of said shell, the annular thin-metal seaming cover thusserving in one of its functions to secure the thick-metal baseplate tothe thin-metal filter shell of the housing.

Although it was recognized by oil filter designers and manufacturersthat spinor screw-on oil filters, because of their direct mounting onthe engine block, would be subject to engine vibration, it was notforeseen that with some engines, particularly an engine powering a.

stances substantial distance of such locations from the axis of thecrankshaft, engine vibration to which the filter is subject can be sosevere as to impair if not destroy the oil tightness of the jointbetween the thinmetal filter shell and the base plate assembly whichtogether make up the filter housing. More particularly, it appears notto have been earlier appreciated, although recent tests have establishedsame to be the fact, that under the condition of severe (high amplitude)vibration transmitted to the filter from the engine, the filter shell orcan under the weight of its contents tends to override the base plateduring each vibration period and actually to vibrate Wlihjfi. slightlygreater amplitude of vibration than that of the base plate. This actiontended to rupture the aforementioned weld spots, to impair the oiltightness of the seam between the thin-metal shell and seaming cover,-and also to unduly stress and cause cracking of the seaming coveritself.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Stated broadly, the present inventioncontemplates and provides an oil filter characterized by a mechanicaljoint between the initially open end of the cylindrical thin-metal shelland the closure-plate assembly together making up the closed filterhousing or can, which joint is so designedand constructed as to becapable of locking the heavy-gauge metal base plate of the base plateassembly in place within and to the thin sheet-metal filter can or shellwith a security that,

should the filter be set in vibration, the filter shell, the I seamingcover and the base plate will vibrate at the same amplitude.

The invention further contemplates and provides an oil filter whosehousing is comprised by a thin sheetmetal, generally cylindrical shellclosed at one end by a separately fashioned closure-plate assemblyincluding a heavy-gauge disc-form metal base plate and an annular thinsheet-metal seaming cover, which latter is lockseamed along its outeredge portion to the initially open edge portion of said shell andextends radially inwardly therefrom to lie flush against the relativelyouter (under) face of said base plate, wherein the thin sheetmetalfilter shell is formed with integral shoulder means which lock the baseplate in fixed axial position therein relative to both shell and seamingcover, and with a security as makes unnecessary the spotor tack-weldingof seaming cover to base plate according to the prior practice.

The invention further contemplates and provides a mechanical leak-proofweldless joint between the initially open end of a thin-metal filtershell and the closure plate assembly which provides a closure for itsopen end, wherein said joint is constructed and arranged as to becapable of withstanding engine vibration of such high amplitude aspreviously was likely to cause rupture of the spots of weldconventionally employed to secure the heavy-gauge metal base plate tothe sheet-metal seaming cover of the base plate assembly and thereby tothe thin-metal shell itself.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An oil filter incorporating animproved mechanical oil-tight weldless joint between the initially openend of the cylindrical thin-metal shell and the outer periphery of theseparately fashioned closure-plate assembly which together form a filterhousing (as herein contemplated and provided), will now be described indetail in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating apreferred physical form thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through an oil filter whichincorporates the improved oil-tight joint between shell and closureplate assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the filter shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in section illustrating the means bywhich the thick-metal base plate of the reinforcing or closure plateassembly is held firmly and positively in place within the filter shellaccording to the invention.

In said drawing figures, reference numeral 10 generally designates anoil filter of the spinor threadon type, whose housing is formed by acylindrical thinmetal shell 12 closed at one end, i.e., its end distalfrom that through which the oil enters and leaves the filter housing, byan integral dome-shaped end wall 14 and at its other end by a separatelyfashioned closure plate assembly 16. As is more or less conventional,said closure plate assembly comprises a thick-metal base plate 18 shownto have outer-edge diameter which is substantially equal to that of theinner diameter of the filter shell whereby to be readily insertible inthe shell but at the same time to have close fit therein, and an annularthin-metal seaming cover 20, which latter derives its name from the factthat it is lock-seamed as at 22 along its outer periphery to theinitially cylindrical, open-end wall portion of the aforesaid shell 12,as fashions a cylindrically extending locking connection or joint withsaid shell, from the circular line of which said thinmetal cover extendsradially inwardly for a substantial distance so as to lie flush againstthe outer (under) surface of the heavy-gauge metal base plate 18 towhich (according to prior practice) it was secured by circumferentiallyspaced spots of weld shown in dot-dash lines, FIG. 2.

As is usual, the thick-metal base plate 18 is provided in its centralportion with an axially inwardly directed tubular neck 26 which isinternally threaded, as enables the filter to be screwed as a unit on toan engine-block fitting such as an externally threaded nipple or pipe(not shown) whose bore receives the filtered oil leaving the filter andreturns it to the oil lubricating line, and is further provided with aplurality of smaller oil-inlet openings 28 disposed on a circle havingradius intermediate that of the inner circular edge of the annularseaming cover 20 and that of the circle of the neck 26. The usualdownwardly facing groove 30 for the reception of a ring-shaped sealinggasket 32 is formed in the seaming cover, which gasket is adapted tosealingly engage a seating surface provided on the engine block when thefilter is screwed down to its full-mounted position thereon. Upon suchsealing engagement having been effected, the gasket functions to sealoff an annular space which extends about the engine block-providednipple or pipe onto which the filter screws and which is definedrelatively top and bottom by the under surface of the base plate and thefacing surface of the engine block.

As is also usual, a filter element or cartridge 40 is approvedconstruction and filtering capacity is enclosed within the filterhousing. More particularly, said filter element is supported incentered, i.e., coaxial, relation within the cylindrical shell 12 and inraised position from the base plate 18 by a tubular ferrule42 againstwhich it is spring-urged by a plate spring 44 reactive between theinside surface of the dome-shaped end wall 14 of said shell and theupper-end cap of said filter element. As is well known, such anarrangement provides that when the engine to whose block the filter ismounted is placed in operation, oil under pressure developed by theengine-driven oil pump is caused to How into the interior of the filterhousing, thence radially inwardly through the filtering media of thefilter element to its center tube 46 and thence axially outwardly fromthe filter through the bore of the neck 26, and from thence back to theoil line.

The above described filter construction is well known in the art, and noclaim of patentable novelty is made thereto except as it representsbasic or background construction for the improvement feature(s) formingthe subject-matter of the present invention and which as forecast aboveis directed to means for positively locking the heavy-gauge base plate18 of the closure plate assembly to and in fixed position within thecylindrical thin sheet-metal filter shell 12, with a security such thatshould the filter be set in vibration, and particularly high amplitudevibration,

the filter shell and base plate will vibrate with substantially the sameamplitude of vibration.

As conducive to a proper understanding of the invention and the solutionwhich it offers (to be shortly described), it is stated that when afilter according to the afore-described basic construction is mounted onan engine having a lot of vibration, said filter because of its screw-onattachment to the block of the engine is set in vibration. Should suchvibration be severe, i.e., of high amplitude, which is entirely possiblein the case of filters being mounted on truckand similar heavy-dutyengines, it can happen that the filter shell will during each period ofvibration override the more rigid base plate of the base plate assemblyand actually vibrate with a greater amplitude than that of said baseplate. When such action occurs, the spots or tacks of weld which inprior filter constructions provided substantially the sole securement ofthe heavy-gauge base plate 18 to the thin-metal filter shell 12 via thethin-metal seaming cover 20 where excessively strained, as was theseaming cover itself, such causing rupture of the weld spots andcracking of the seaming cover, all to the detriment of the oil tightnessof the joint between the filter shell 12 and the cover plate assembly16.

The present invention offers the following simple solutation to theaforesaid problem, namely, that of providing as by a rolling operationtwo inwardly directed circumferential beads 50, 52 in the wall of thecylindrical filter shell at axially spaced-apart locations thereofdisposed immediately above (axially inwardly of) and below (axiallyoutwardly of) the base plate location, which beads project into theshell interior space to a depth such that they function as lockshoulders which positively lock the heavy-gauge base plate 18 directlyto and in fixed axial position within the thinmetal shell 12. With thebase plate securely locked in place as aforesaid, not only is thenecessity of providing indirect securement of the heavy-gauge base plate18 to thin-metal filter shell 12 via the seaming cover 20 by the spotsof weld 24 completely avoided (although such indirect securement may beprovided in supplement to the locking action of the circumferentialbeads 50, 52 if desired), but also strain on and possible cracking ofthe thin-metal seaming cover are relieved to a substantial degree, evenunder the adverse conditions of high amplitude vibration beingtransmitted to the filter from the engine.

It is to be observed that while the inner (upper) circumferential bead50 is clearly discernible as such in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing, theouter (lower) circumferential bead 52 is not as clearly discernible assuch, for the reason that the lock seam 22 has moved into and in effecthas filled the outward concavity thereof.

It is to be understood, however, that according to the invention, saidlower circumferential bead 52 is very definitely rolled into the shellwall prior to the lock seam 22 being compressed radially inwardly to itsfinal position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3; that said lock seam at this stageof filter fabrication, although substantially fully formed, is spacedradially outwardly from the inwardly depressed wall of the shell formingthe lower bead 52 by what may be termed an annular void; and that in afinal operation the lock seam is forced or rolled radially inwardly intoand in filling relation to said annular space or void, as effectssnugging of the metal of the shell in under the outer peripheral or rimedge of the base plate 18. By such forcing of the formed lock seam inradial inward direction so that it fills the void or space provided bythe already rolled-in bead 52, not only is wrinkling and/or cracking ofthe thin metal of the can and/or seaming cover avoided, but also thelock seam 22 has an effective outer diameter which correspondssubstantially to that of the outer diameter of the filter shell 12.

From the foregoing and a consideration of the drawing figures whichillustrate the manner in which the circumferential beads 50, 52 functionas circumferential stop shoulders which look the base plate firmly in afixed position to and within the cylindrical filter shell, it

I will be appreciated that the herein invention provides a simple yethighly effective means for directly locking the heavy-gauge base plateforming a component of a base plate assembly of a screw-on type filterdirectly to and in fixed axial position to and within the thin-metalfilter shell, with the security such that should the filter as a wholebe subject to severe vibration consequent to its being mounted directlyto the block of an engine which has a lot of vibration in operation, allsignificant parts of the filter will vibrate with the same amplitude ofvibration, thus to relieve any one part thereof from excessive strainand/or cracking as may and often does result in oil tightness of thejoint between filter shell and its base plate assembly being impaired ifnot destroyed. Also it is to be understood that the invention issusceptible to change and modification as would occur to one versed inthe particular art and which falls within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. An oil filter of the spinor screw-on type comprising a cylindricalthin-metal filter shell closed at one end by an integral end wall and atits other end by a separately fashioned closure-plate assembly includinga generally disc-form heavy-gauge metal base plate whose rim portion isplanar and has outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameterof said cylindrical shell and an annular thin-metal seaming cover havingalong its outer'circular edge a cylindrically extending lock-seamconnection with the open-edge portion of the shell, said thin-metalseaming cover extending radially-inwardly from said connection and lyingsubstantially flush against the outwardly disposed (under) face of saidbase plate, and means for locking said heavygauge metal base plate toand in fixed position within the thin-metal cylindrical shell with asecurity such as insures that under a condition of severe vibration saidfilter shell and base plate assembly including the heavygauge base plateof the latter will vibrate with substantially the same amplitude ofvibration, said means comprising two circumferential intemal beadsprovided in the filter shell wall at locations thereof disposed closelyabove and closely below said base plate, said beads forming shouldersserving to hold the base plate firmly in fixed axial position within thefilter shell.

2. An oil filter according to claim 1, wherein said cylindricallyextending lock-seam is encompassed within the outer-circle line of thefilter shell proper.

3. An oil filter according to claim 1, wherein said cylindricallyextending lock seam substantially fills the radially outwardly facingconcavity defined by said lower circumferential bead.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE: CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION mm: 3,685,658Dated August 22, 1972 lnvent or s Jesse A. Baldwin It is Certified thaterror appears in'the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:-

On the cover sheet [72] and [73] "Kearnesy" should read Kearney.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETC HER,JR. 1 ROBERT GOITSCHALK Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSO (IO-69) USCOMM-DC BO376-P69 U.5.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1569 O-365-334,

1. An oil filter of the spin- or screw-on type comprising a cylindricalthin-metal filter shell closed at one end by an integral end wall and atits other end by a separately fashioned closure-plate assembly includinga generally disc-form heavygauge metal base plate whose rim portion isplanar and has outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameterof said cylindrical shell and an annular thin-metal seaming cover havingalong its outer circular edge a cylindrically extending lock-seamconnection with the open-edge portion of the shell, said thinmetalseaming cover extending radially-inwardly from said connection and lyingsubstantially flush against the outwardly disposed (under) face of saidbase plate, and means for locking said heavy-gauge metal base plate toand in fixed position within the thin-metal cylindrical shell with asecurity such as insures that under a condition of severe vibration saidfilter shell and base plate assembly including the heavy-gauge baseplate of the latter will vibrate with substantially the same amplitudeof vibration, said means comprising two circumferential internal beadsprovided in the filter shell wall at locations thereof disposed closelyabove and closely below said base plate, said beads forming shouldersserving to hold the base plate firmly in fixed axial position within thefilter shell.
 2. An oil filter according to claim 1, wherein saidcylindrically extending lock-seam is encompassed within the outer-circleline of the filter shell proper.
 3. An oil filter according to claim 1,wherein said cylindrically extending lock seam substantially fills theradially outwardly facing concavity defined by said lowercircumferential bead.